Release: Hastings Bill Opens Atlantic and Pacific Coasts to Oil Drilling

Environment America

WASHINGTON, D.C. – H.R. 6082, the so-called “Congressional Replacement of President Obama’s Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan” passed the House today by a margin of 253 to 170. In response to this disappointing vote, Environment America’s Preservation Advocate Nancy Pyne, issued the following statement:

“Imagine the next time you’re sitting with your family at Virginia Beach and you look out at the horizon only to see a line of drill rigs. Or you’re walking along the boardwalk at the Jersey Shore, or Provincetown, Cape Cod, and you see black sludge churning in the surf. Even worse- you head down to North Carolina’s Outer Banks or Florida’s Everglades only to find dead birds washing up or turtles drenched in oil. Americans don’t want to surf and swim near drill rigs; they don’t want to eat New England Cod or Maryland Blue Crab after an oil spill.

“H.R. 6082 recklessly opens up the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to new drilling, and offers more opportunities for leasing off the coast of Alaska and in the Arctic Ocean—jeopardizing marine wildlife, essential fisheries and tourism-based coastal economies. This dangerous bill is just the latest attempt by House leadership to turn over our coastlines and treasured lands to Big Oil.

“Catastrophic oil spills like Deepwater Horizon have shown us that oil drilling remains a dirty and dangerous business. The vibrant fishing and tourism economies of coastal states, and the icy waters and fragile ecosystems of the Arctic, are far too precious to risk another oil spill. Instead of providing another hand out to Big Oil, our elected officials should focus on supporting clean energy sources like offshore wind and solar, investing in energy efficiency and promoting smart transportation policies that will end our dependence on oil.”

Read our report Oceans Under the Gun: Living Seas or Drilling Seas? to learn more.